


Should I Stay or Should I Go?

by acrylicArtsy



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 70’s music, 80's Music, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Diners, M/M, Road Trips, will update tags as chapters get posted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2020-10-19 15:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20659313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acrylicArtsy/pseuds/acrylicArtsy
Summary: Ludwig was a German immigrant working his ass off in a dingy laundromat and run down burger shack. Feliciano was a young man refusing to accept the future his family’s business empire wants to put onto him. The two meet, suffer losses, and when things seem to hit a major low, run from their lives in hopes of finding something worth living for. But no matter how much a great escape can free the mind, their left-behind ghosts aren’t going to allow them freedom forever.





	1. 9 to 5

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for showing interest in this work. Chapter 1 is being posted by itself, but chapter 2 is about 75% finished, and is expected to be out within 1-2 weeks. I have become extremely invested in the story, so I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I enjoy telling it.

Chapter 1: 9 to 5

As cars raced off of the highway and down the curling turns of tightly stacked exits, a mall diner known as “Alphie’s Wonder Burgers” sat quaintly, yet boldly in place. Vehicles passed by the establishment at blistering speeds, making the ramps quake and concrete groan. The people inside however, paid no mind to the hum of car engines or the honking or irritated drivers; as the ones inside were used to the constant sounds of automobile chaos on their front doorstep.  
the staff of the local establishment had begun their swap with the late night crew and were now loitering around the back, leaning on ugly blue countertops and black and white checkered tiles. Some employees laughed and joked among themselves while the newcomers grumbled about having to work until almost midnight.The late night manager counted stock among the dingy yellow cabinets and wrote the information down with a fancy blue pen that all the employees knew was stolen from the owner’s personal stash.  
One employee however, sat by his lonesome, minding his own business and not even batting an eye to the bright, yet also dingy primary colored world around him.  
The man, despite shrinking somewhat into the corner due to posture, had a strong build. Blond hair with loosened hair gel, tired blue eyes, and a greasy uniform gave the man what used to be a clean look, now a tired and gritty one. Unfortunately, there was only so much one could do as they hustled around a greasy diner. The blue polo with its garish stripes clashed with his more traditionally handsome appearance. A man who had the look of a king, but certainly not the life of one.  
As he cracked his neck to the side and stretched his arms. A worn name tag with the writing: Ludwig B. Serving you since 1978 Could be read along his chest.

The man known as Ludwig leaned against one of the countertops as he counted what seemed to be tip money. Flicking through the dollar bills expertly, he sighed gently under his breath as his fingers reached the end of the stack.  
Fifteen bucks, just his god damned luck.  
He knew he shouldn’t be surprised though, his big bucks for the night cheated him out of the opportunity to make bank. The table of teens had been horse-playing among the booths, and in their roughhousing had kicked Ludwig in the shin as he walked by with a pair of tooth-rotting sweet root beer floats. The nauseating drink, to the luck of the German, ended up on the table and in a few of the boys laps. Their annoyance with his “clumsy-ass nature” left a sour taste in the minds of the customers despite a quick cleanup and a polite apology on his behalf.  
With a click of his tongue, Ludwig left his memories of earlier and returned to the greasy back room, then pulled out his leather wallet and deposited the bills into the appropriate slot.  
Before closing said wallet however, Ludwig couldn’t help but glance at the photograph hidden behind his credit cards.  
It was a crumpled up photo of an adult man and two boys. The man had long, light hair, beautifully braided down his back in a lovely, simple form with twists, curls, and other styles melded into the style. A cleanly pressed shirt and tie with matching dress pants were worn, giving the man a polished appearance. On both of his knees knees rested two young boys. On the right (but left to the viewer) knee, a rambunctious boy with blinding white hair had the largest grin on his face. Eyes crinkled in the corners that twinkled in happiness. He clung to the adults arm for balance, as while his legs were somewhat long, he still was to small to rest his feet on the ground in a secure manner. Opposing him was a smaller child. Slicked, gelled hair shined in the light. With a small, innocent face resting underneath. Eyes were slightly wide with a slight furrow to the brow, but a small, genuine smile rested on the smaller one’s lips, pushing through the nervousness of the situation. This younger boy leaned into the torso of the adult, and wrapped his arms around the man’s frame as much as his little arms allowed. The man in return secured the boys own waist to his position in a comforting embrace.  
Ludwig felt his lips pull upward into a sad smile, feeling positive memories, but stashed the wallet and photo away before his mind could wander from the good. The photograph meant too much to him, and he wasn’t going to let negative thoughts tarnish how happy of a memory the small piece of paper provided.  
Lifting himself off of the counter with a grunt, Ludwig untied his apron and name tag then chucked the the two items into his little cubby across the way. He grabbed his belongings, and walked his way out of the back door without a glance behind himself and the people who did the same.

~~~~~~

Feliciano looked out the window across the way from his bed. The young man normally seen to others as cheerful, kind, and relaxed was anything but that in this moment in time. If he had been in a normal state of mind, he would have strided over to his record player, and depending on his mood, would have something smooth and relaxing, like a nice record by The Ink Spots. Or if he was in a more active state, the young man would have excitedly bounced to his collection and pulled out “ A Night at the Opera”, his favorite album by the never ending talent that was Queen.  
But with the current situation, that just wasn’t possible for him. With not a single melody radiating through the air, it simply brought attention to the frozen man sitting on the edge of an unmade bed.  
His eyes were unfocused; blank. Legs bouncing erratically up and down over and over in the hopes that it would expel the pent-up energy. His hand spasmed, and the reality of why he was panicking returned into his mind.  
A sliver of paper rested in said hand. Crumpled up now due to the pressure and heat coming from his shaking fist. Feli had yet to look at it, but knew exactly what it held inside.  
Antonio was truly a godsend. And an absolute madman.  
Taking a few breaths to calm himself from his self-created panic, he gripped the paper with both hands, and unfurled the crumpled mess to read the inside.

A set of 10 numbers. How simple such a thing could take him to one of the most important people in his life.

Feliciano felt the waterworks wanting to flow, but swallowed them down. He knew that this victory would not last long if he exited his guest space with a red face and a runny nose.. To many questions would be asked. No, he needed to be stronger than a sniveling crybaby.

Slipping the paper into the secret pocket inside his suit jacket, he hoisted himself upward and wobbled to the connecting bathroom.  
Honey-colored pupils met Feliciano on the opposite side of the mirror. And without skipping a beat, he turned on the faucet to cool running water. Testing his index finger, once he was satisfied with the cooler temperature, he dabbed underneath his eyes and across his nose in a dainty motion.

Sometimes all of the politics, pain, and drama of a business empire teach you things that come quite in handy.

Once he felt the puffiness that had accumulated had settled to an amount that could possibly be presentable, he turned off the faucet and pressed the clean hand towel into his face to remove any traces of water remaining.  
The young man cleaned the area, wiping up the slotted water that escaped the basin, adjusting anything that may have been bumped or altered, and finally sliding the hand-towel back to its original place; it's only sign of use being the most slight levels of dampness within the fibers.  
Before heading out however, Feliciano couldn’t help but glance into the mirror, and truly see himself.  
His suntanned skin, the most delicate blushing of freckles, and his Wavy-textured hair; all telltale signs of being the grandson of The great Romulus Vargas. Differences were there; such as his softer cheeks, and his auburn hair, but when he looked into his own eyes, he knew who he saw.  
Feliciano snapped his eyes shut, and turned his head away from the mirror.

No, Feliciano thought. It wasn’t time to look at yourself. You are to be expected soon.

So Feliciano left the bathroom and robotically marched through the tostled bedroom without a second thought. 

The paper, to Feliciano’s nervousness however, refused to stop feeling like a weight trying to drag him to sea.

~~~~

Ludwig yanked the key out of the ignition and felt the engine rumble, whimper, and die out. As the lights of the car blinked off, he squeezed the wheel, leaned his head into the headrest, and breathed in a few deep breaths to help relax his tense muscles. Working himself from 8 to 8 had really taken a toll on him today, and the German just couldn’t bring himself to get out of the worn leather seats of his busted Plymouth quite yet.  
So he sat, allowing his mind to drift. Not quite thinking about anything in particular. Times like this where he could could just…wander were so slim now. With a life like his, you were always moving. America made you part of its machine, and if you fall out of the routine, it was too hard to catch up.  
Waking up at 7. Stuffing his uniforms into his backpack. Rushing out the door with nothing in his stomach, and getting to the laundromat by 7:45. Use their shitty coffee machine to make a cup, and have it chugged, dumped, and is all dressed and ready to serve the customers by 8:00. Work the morning shift until 1:00 and take a quick lunch break and rush to Alphie’s burger shack and work from 2:00 to 8:00 (give or take). Come home to Gilbert and take care of whatever is needed in the two hours he allows himself, then try to fall asleep around 10-10:30.  
The thought of his brother made him pause.  
Ah yes, Gilbert.  
His thoughts began to drift toward his older brother. With his charismatic attitude, but admittedly somewhat arrogant nature, the German man four years his senior was the only family worth anything to him.  
Thinking of the man, who was most likely inside waiting made him realize that he might as well get on with it. Time to once again be an adult and prepare for the day tomorrow.  
Huffing in slight annoyance, Ludwig undid his seatbelt, unlatched the car door and hoisted himself out of the vehicle. He slung his backpack over his shoulder casually and fished his lanyard out of his pocket as he walked through the small yard, up the creaky wooden stairs, and slipped the key into the door. 

“Gilbert, I am home.” Ludwig announced as the creak of the hinges announced his arrival. None of the hall lights were on, but if he squinted, the German could see that the quaint chandelier above the kitchen table casted it’s warm tungsten light throughout the open dining and kitchen floor plan.  
Suddenly, a head of white hair popped out of the side of the door frame at the end of the hall, and a wonderful smile graced the features of the man.  
“Lud! Welcome Back!” He sang, bringing himself into full view. He swung himself back and forth through the doorframe as his left arm gripped the right side.  
With a small chuckle, Ludwig couldn’t help but smile back at the cheery man.  
“Thank you Bruder. How was your day?” Ludwig asked politely. He walked through the dark hallway and gently hung his backpack on the coat rack as he passed it by.  
Gilbert shrugged, then yanked out a chair for himself, but didn’t sit. The older brother instead maneuvered into the kitchen as he swiped up two prepared plates from the stove. Afterwards he smoothly sat down by the table.  
Ludwig joined him, and allowed his arms to cross and rest in front as he relaxed into the chair, cuddling his face away from the light and into the crook of his elbow.  
Gilbert pushed the plate in Ludwig’s direction. with a saying of muffled thanks heard from the cocooned brother across the way..  
A chuckle could be heard from Gilbert.  
“Tough day?” The elder inquired.  
“Yep.” Came the muffled reply.  
“Wanna talk about it?” Gilbert poked at the food inside his bowl with a fork haphazardly.  
Nothing but the sound of a sigh could be heard from the younger one.  
“okay…” he faltered. The fork raised and the sound of chewing echoed.  
Ludwig sighed, and brought himself back to the world around him.  
“My apologies Gilbert…It was just a nuisance of a day.” Ludwig began. “I had an accident with some root beer floats that resulted in losing the big tip of the night. Just annoying. Nothing more.” He assured the elder.  
Gilbert frowned but knew not to push further with questions. In the past he had gotten quite cross with other people’s treatment of the blond across the table, and argued with attempting to convince his younger brother to bring maltreatment and injustice to superiors. However Ludwig would rather let it be, and move on from the case. The two had gotten into quite a few spats over topics similar to the one being held. So the elder brother held his tongue. He wasn’t in the mood, and knew Ludwig wasn’t either to begin a large scale showdown into their quaint kitchen and dining room.  
Happy with the fact that Gilbert seemed to not be starting a debate on the incident, Ludwig brought the bowl over to himself and peered into its contents.  
“What did you make tonight?” Ludwig implored. He poked through the noodles and managed to find some sausages, and something that may have been tomatoes?  
“It’s a sausage pasta with red peppers, Auntie Jenny across the street was kind enough to bring us some of her garden’s spoils.” Gilbert stated happily.  
“I even taste tested it as I went along, I think that you'll like it.”  
“I bet that I will, anything at this point is better than burgers and grease.” Ludwig chuckled quietly as he scooped and stabbed the pasta onto his plate.

Gilbert smiled, and savored the warm flavors of his meal. For right now, the two of them could sit, and enjoy a moment together in their hellish lives. Tomorrow could wait and rear it’s ugly head later.

~~

“Feli! Welcome, my grandson!”  
A loud, boisterous voice echoed through the massive business conference room. All eyes snapped at his approach, and the young Italian couldn’t repress the slight flinch that took place. However a pleasant smile went onto his face, as if the occurrence had not even happened.  
“Hello Grandfather! My apologies for being late. You know how I am with directions in these buildings.”  
At the end of the long table, the elder individual who announced his arrival originally laughed cheerily.  
“Ah, my Feli! We all understand. You are not very tardy my child. Please come sit!” The man made a beckoning motion toward a seat at the end of the table. Not needing to be told twice, Feli smiled apologetically as he weaved behind the backs of other business men and women. A few who knew him well politely nodded as he slipped by. However, one gently patted his arm as he passed. Feli quickly glanced in the man’s direction and realized that it was Antonio’s eyes that he met. The man gave him a quiet, yet caring smile then let him continue without resistance.  
As Feli sat down beside his grandfather, he could feel the elder’s eyes gloss over his form. An arm then patted him on the shoulder, and as quick as his presence focused on Feli, he then pulled away.  
Romulus Vargas stood up in his chair smoothly. He gazed with his honey brown eyes across the vast men and women around him and began his charismatic speech to the population.  
Feli was admittedly bad at focusing on the talks of stocks, business practices among different sectors, and plans for the future of the company. However The young Italian-American was much better at something else: reading the individual’s within the room.  
Romulus Vargas has, no matter what, always been like a radiant sun. Bright, charismatic, and motivated. People who knew him in a positive light would look at the man with the sunny tanned skin, crows feet, and lovely wavy locks and feel nothing but warmth, gentleness, and a caring nature. It was an aspect of the man that anybody could tell was a true part of his character and not a farce. Feli remembered so many times when he was younger how lightning bolts would strike the skyscrapers like snakes. Biting and hissing the tall, artificial trees with warning snaps that caused the buildings to flicker and shake with the power of the booming thunder.  
His grandfather always remembered that they frightened him. And would rush to be by the small child’s side during times of storms.  
“Count the seconds for the thunder!” Grandpa Roma would always remind.  
“The longer the sound takes to follow the light, the farther away the strike is.”  
His grandfather would rub his back through the blanket draped over himself. And count the thunder claps with him until the sounds only faded to quiet rumbles.  
Those genuine moments are what sealed Feliciano’s love for his grandfather, no matter what.

However that doesn’t mean that everything was okay.

Feliciano knew that his grandfather worked his way up the ladder. And if the world of building a business empire taught Feli anything, it was that anybody in this world didn’t come out on top without changing for the worst. 

Romulus Vargas had to fight tooth and nail to get to where he is today. Starting as a pizza delivery guy of all things, and sneaking his way into a small trading company by becoming one of the hundreds of paper pushers. Feliciano’s grandfather climbed the ranks and became the head of what he retitled as Roman Industries.  
Because of the expanse of the “empire” his grandfather created, Feli knew that there was no way things went smoothly with no people being harmed along the way.

However, he didn’t realize how expansive the damage was until his brother told him.

Romano, whose true name was Lovino Vargas, was Feliciano’s older brother by two and a half years. The elder of the brothers was the polar opposite of himself: Headstrong, blunt, and unafraid of standing up for what he believed in. He was a person who, in Feliciano’s opinion, could truly be a good leader if given the chance. He wasn’t afraid of others, and while his occasional lapses in judgment, and laziness could get him into a pickle here and there, the elder Vargas had his heart in the right place.  
Feli remembered when him and his brother overheard the conversation with the elder lady with his grandfather. The two of them had pressed their little ears to the wood, and could still to this day hear the wails she screeched as she sobbed and accused their grandfather to repay for the loss of her sons.  
But what shook them even more was the cold and harsh tones their grandfather had used as he, in a methodical manner, recited the rules of safety and policies that her children had signed their lives away with.  
After they had both scurried away from the chilling conversation, Feliciano did his best to rid his brain of the conversation, blaring out the echoing sounds with music, art, and anything he could get his hands on.  
Romano embraced the ringing.  
From that point further, the elder brother dug up any paperwork he could find; he snuck into private rooms to take photographs of internal documents. Interviewed people among the streets for their stories and checked public sources for company records. The years and years of research that Romano did behind their grandfather’s back was well put together. 

But it’s only so long before the lion realized that one of its pride was a traitor. 

When Grandpa Romulus approached Romano, he was by himself at the time. Feli had gone out to meet some friends for a study session, while the elder brother had stayed inside to entertain himself for the time being.  
The younger brother had just returned home when he watched his grandfather storm down the hall towards Romano’s bedroom. With the sense of dread quickly beginning to put at the bottom of his stomach, he followed the furious Italian man and flinched when he heard a door slam around the corner. Swiftly running to listen to what was going on, Feli stood in front of the closed door and squeezed himself into a corner and listened in fear.

The argument was terrible. Curses upon curses were screamed at one another, creating a chaotic chorus of insults. Sometimes, one of the two would shut the other up, and begin a rant. However it was never for long before the other party let out a screeching reply and the verbal brawl began once more.  
What tuned Feli into it getting worse however was the sound of a sudden slap.  
A dull thud was heard, and Feli’s heart dropped.  
Oh god. Did one of them hit the other?  
Silence was all he could hear now. Realizing that he may need to make a call for someone, Feliciano scrambled away from the door, down the hallway, and turned the corner. He desperately tryed to remember where the closest wall phone was. However, he didn’t have time to look for long, as the slam of a door behind him caused Feli to freeze.  
Footsteps were heard, and to his relief, but then horror Romano was the one to turn the corner in a flurry.  
His face was bloodied.  
Feli could feel the cry of agony leave his lips before he could even hope to stop the sound. His brother’s eyes widened at the sight of his brother, then grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the dreaded door where their grandfather waited.  
Everything from this point forward had moved in such a hurry. With little to no time, Romano clung to his little brother, whispering words of love and apologies into the younger’s ears. Feli could remember his brother’s struggle to not choke or sputter the blood gushing from his nose into either party. Feli was so numb. So so numb. So simply remembered the feeling of tears streaming down his face as he realized that what he was experiencing was a goodbye.  
One thing that stood out was his brother trying to lighten the situation. He wiped the tears from Feli’s eyes, and reminded him that crying made him puffy amd gross and to not forget about the water trick.  
Not long after that, he left. Running out the lobby door without a glance behind him. Entering and leaving the whole situation like a bloody tornado. Terror from the apprehension, numbness, from the reality, then finally to the mourning of what was lost.

Pulling out of his thoughts, he could see that his grandfather had finished his speech, and now some awkward manager was attempting to articulate how his employees were performing with a terribly made chart. Feli speed a glance in the direction of Antonio, who seemed to be doing his best to pay attention to the presentation, then to his grandfather, who while putting up a false persona of interest, was really not focusing on the situation at hand at all.  
Feli blended at his grandfather. A man who could be so kind, yet also be so cruel… He loved his grandfather…he loved him so much. But what he did to Romano, banishing him away and hiding the familial bloodstain he created like it didn’t happen seeped into Feliciano’s bones.  
Feli pressed his hand into where the hidden note lay.  
3 years — that’s how long it’s been since he’d heard from Romano. He would now be 23 now. And the fact that he wasn’t able to experience that time with his brother hurt like hell.  
Which is why as soon as this meeting ended, Feliciano was going to get out of this damn building and call his brother. No matter what. 

——— End of Chapter——————


	2. Uptown Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feliciano rushes out of HQ to find a place to call his brother, meanwhile Ludwig has to deal with an unruly and rude set of customers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you for being so patient with this chapter. I hope that it was worth the wait! Chapter 3 is a bit of a ways to go, but I think it’s better to wait and get something good than to rush something yes? 🥰  
but I digress, enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Note: Please note that while I try my best to keep the story as clean as possible, mistakes are always possible as I generally beta my work and occasionally have a friend check over things for me. Writing will always have its weird moments! So please be patient with anything that you find awkward. Thank you for the understanding and I hope that you enjoy! 🥰

Chapter 2: Uptown Girl

Feliciano rushed out of the elevator bee-lining for the lobby door. The idea of spending any more time in this building made his stomach queasy, and sick. He could feel a few glares locked onto his back as he glided by them without a care, but right now it didn’t matter.

He was going to talk to his brother. 

Feli wanted to do nothing but sprint out the skyscraper, screaming at the monotone-colored swarm of business suits that they could kiss his ass, but knew that semblance of normalcy was necessary, so he bit down the intrusive thoughts, and remembered to wave at the secretary and give a nod to the guard at the doorway before exiting Roman Industries headquarters. 

Feliciano felt that he could finally breathe as soon as he stepped out into the evening air. The sky outside was now going from it’s lovely blue-day hues to a more sunflower orange for sunset time. Checking his watch, Feliciano found it to be about 5:30 pm.  
More than enough time to disappear for a few hours he gleefully thought.  
He then glanced up, and an overwhelming feeling of insignificance washed through him. The city with all its colors, sounds, and distractions admittedly put the man into a standstill. He wasn’t quite sure where he should head to. The city with all of its connections to Roman Industries made the possibilities within the city slim to none. Too many people either knew him, or knew of him. Walking himself into a sketchy place, like a bar or somewhere else would very much so end with someone reporting him to a newspaper or magazine for gossip’s sake. To many of the upper class’s offspring were watched like hawks to do anything stupid and the whole city knew it… no, he couldn’t find a place within the city walls.  
Feliciano also knew that there was no way he could simply go to his family's house, as it would be to easy for his Grandfather to figure out who he was talking to. Furthermore, way to many of the buildings in the nearby area to the house just felt way too close for comfort when it came to getting spotted…  
So he decided to take a right, and go get his car from the parking garage. He could find an excuse. Say that he wanted to try a new place for dinner, or just needed to drive and unwind.. an excuse would come and he knew that as long as he was simple and kept himself smiling, his grandfather should have no reason to wonder. he just needed to find a place with a phone that wasn’t under Roman industries’ watchful eye.

Feliciano realized long ago that he hated the city. He had been to many different places across the east coast, and seen many different ones. Cities like New York where the sky scrapers felt like they were closing in on you. A steel jungle with flashing lights, hustling cars, and borderline pornographic imagery on billboards. However, he knew that he was being closed minded. Not all cities were like the sprawling New York. Others were a bit more open. With suburban life coming quite close and leaving the city a little to spread. He liked those cities a lot more. With their trees, and plants, and blue sky..  
Nature was so beautiful. And god he would practically kill to just get away from all this monotone grey and pulsating light. He just wanted some of those lovely greens and blues…  
The thought of getting out of this city made Feliciano only move more quickly through the concrete garage. He had already pulled out his keys and zoomed across the sidewalks to get to his car. His eyes scanned for the navy blue paint job, and to his luck, the automobile was peaking its nose just far enough out for the man to locate the vehicle with little issue. Within no time Feliciano shoved his car keys into the door, unlocked the mechanism, and practically threw himself into the driver's seat. The dash into the car made Feliciano’s head spin as the blood rushed and caused spots to appear in his vision. However this did little to stop him. His keys went into the ignition and with a decisive crank, the car’s engine rumbled to life.  
It was then that music flowed into Feliciano’s ears.  
The Eagles were playing,he knew it as soon as the acoustics let their sounds reverberate throughout the interior. The strumming of a guitar, combined with the lovely southern harmonies brought the manic stress to settle. His eyes closed on their own as the music relaxed his tense muscles. The lyrics flowed in and out like waves. However, a particular section of a verse seemed to buzz into his ear, and he allowed itself to repeat in his brain.

I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me

We may lose and we may win

Though we will never be here again

So open up, I’m climbing in

Take it easy 

Take it easy, such a good song. And while he would never admit it aloud, the lyrics sounded more and more tempting as each day passed. The desire to escape the current world, to run and live a life free of the politics…it was cowardly, weak. However in times like this, where he allowed himself to be seduced by the music like a sailor to a beautiful siren, his mind just didn’t seem to care. Breathing in deeply, he opened his eyes and straightened his back, feeling the pops and creaks as his spine snapped back into place. He felt a little better, still stressed as he looked around himself, but something about being in the car and knowing that he was so close to leaving allowed his common sense to take back over. Feliciano adjusted his mirrors, turned off his emergency break, and went into reverse. He was gonna get himself out of here, far from town, maybe hop onto the highway and find a place that looks like it would have a phone. The clock was ticking. 

~~~~~

Ludwig could practically feel the muscles in his mouth straining as he fought to keep the pleasant smile upon his face.  
A lovely double date was occurring in his section of the restaurant; by the front window. And to be most blunt: it was going horribly.  
The German wasn’t sure who was friends with who among the group, but he had to do his absolute best to keep himself from rolling his eyes and snapping at their shrill tones and hypocritical comments.  
The couple who sat on his left weren’t the worst in the world. A leaner, but still well toned man who needed a new brand of hair gel had a redhead beside him with an annoying nasal cadence which caused Ludwig to grit his teeth. However the two of them together seemed to be polite, and at least a small amount of understanding on how to treat other people with respect. It was the other couple that was beginning to really rub him (and by the looks of it, the couple as well) the wrong way.  
A Barbie blonde young woman with luscious curls tapped her manicured nails along the table in a repetitive fashion. Her face, while pretty, was stuck in a disgusting sneer, as she ridiculed and gossiped to the other couple across the table. Mentions of embarrassing information that she had heard were were even reaching where Ludwig stood behind the counter depositing a customer’s cash. Finally, her date almost felt like the worst in Ludwigs eyes. A brutish jock with one of the local highschool’s letter jackets was tearing up a napkin, and tossing the remains underneath the table as if it were his personal trash can. To make it worse, this particular asshole was known to frequently pick on anyone with even the slightest of accents when his posy was around.  
Gott he hated how some people just had no respect for others.  
But unfortunately for him there was nothing he could do. He was the waiter, and they were the customers. And it wasn’t like what they were doing was worth dragging Alfred into their case. It was best to just let them be and hope that they tipped well to make up for their behavior…  
Ludwig finished organizing the change for the check he was working and headed back to the table the cash belonged to. With a kind smile and a nod, he put the money tray onto the table and thanked the older couple he was serving for their patronage. The two smiled kindly and thanked him in return. Ludwig then turned on his heel and dove for behind the counter and into the kitchen. He needed to let the busboy know that a table was going to need cleaning soon…and also maybe get away from the sound of that blonde’s yapping.  
Stepping inside the backroom was a relief that Ludwig always seemed to take for granted. Every time he got to work, he tried so hard to be positive, thinking that things weren’t going to be shit that day. Today was the day customers would get it! They wouldn’t treat everyone that serves them like shit! But no; There was always someone that just rubbed him the wrong way. Whether it be passively like the backstabbing and littering couple out front, or a screeching customer mad at him for a messed up order or for taking too long to get them their drinks. Or even better, a racist one who heard his thick accent and took that opportunity to state the obvious “jokes”, something that the jock outside would have certainly done if he was with a different crowd. There was always something every day that made Ludwig just need a break.  
Sometimes he wondered what he did to make god hate him so much.  
Immediately after the thought however, he chided himself. And shut the wandering musings down. There were many people who had it much worse. People who didn’t even have a brother, a house, or even a job...be grateful...  
Knowing that he couldn’t hide forever, he wandered over to the kid scraping the plates and tapped him on the shoulder. When he looked up, Ludwig gestured to the door. The kid understood immediately and assured him that he would be right out to gather the plates. He then left the kid to finish his current work and made his way back to the outside world.  
Once Ludwig got out the door, he slipped the notebook and pencil from out of his front pocket and plastered as pleasant of a smile as possible while walking toward the 4 teenagers by the window.  
“What am I able to get for you four?” He politely questioned. 

Ludwig could practically feel his eye twitch as the second couple continued to argue among themselves. Why did they feel the need to do such a thing? In public of all times. He had been standing there for 10 minutes now, and he had yet to get their orders due to the argument that the 2nd couple broke into. He didn’t even remember what it was about anymore. Thankfully, the jingle of the front door signaled a new customer, and Ludwig had to work so hard to hold in the sigh of relief at the ability to finally leave the situation. Looking to the other couple, Ludwig spoke quickly.  
“My apologies. I must go and take care of the new customer, please flag me if I am needed.”  
The first couple, who seemed to equally want to leave their current situation, nonverbally assured him that it was alright. A split second of mutual understanding passed between the three, and Ludwig rushed off.  
Rushing to the front of the store, Ludwig expected to find someone standing there waiting to be seated. Instead, there was nobody to be found. Frowning in confusion, he glanced around the space.  
It was then that he saw him. A small man in a light grey business suit seemed to be looking for something by the counters. He leaned onto the island and stood on his tiptoes and squinted.  
Yeah, that’s gotta be him.  
Strolling over to the individual, Ludwig coughed into his wrist and watched as the man jumped, then swiveled to meet the other.  
The first thing that Ludwig noticed were his eyes. A beautifully bright honey color stood out to the man like a fire. He was quite disheveled, probably from moving in a hurry, but overall it seemed like on a normal basis he took care of himself. Clean-cut auburn hair with a center part that framed the face. Relatively unblemished skin with a light dusting of freckles, and a healthy tan that fit his overall complexion well. His suit also was tailored quite nicely to his form, and wasn’t to big or to snug.  
Honestly it just made him wonder what the absolute hell a guy like this was even doing in a shitty burger shack.  
“Sir, are you here to eat with us? If so then please remember next time to wait up front.” Ludwig told the man politely while gesturing to the front door.  
The other’s eyes widened, and a slight blush dusted his cheeks.  
“I-oh! My apologies sir, I didn’t mean to be rude.” He glanced around behind and around himself.  
“By any chance do you have a telephone I could use?”  
The phone? Why would a guy looking this nice come here of all placed to use the phone?  
The other man must have seen something register on Ludwig’s face, because a look of mild panic took hold.  
“I promise to order as well! And I’m not in any trouble, I just have to call a family member.” He promised.  
Well. That’s totally sketchy.  
But it ain’t his business.  
Ludwig snorted, and did his best to not roll his eyes.  
“I'm not asking questions. The phone is around the corner by the restrooms. You can’t miss it.”  
The other man practically beamed the largest smile possible.  
“Oh thank you mister...” he looked to the other’s name tag.”  
“Ludwig! It means very much to me.” The suited man practically skipped by him, positive emotions radiating off of him in waves. Before he took off completely however, Ludwig called out to the man.  
“Table 5 is yours! When you’re done I’ll get your drink order.”  
The smaller man glanced behind him and nodded in confirmation.  
“Thank you!”  
He was then off.  
Ludwig shook his head and walked to the designated table, passing the double date customers who were still going at it.  
‘What an odd man.’ Ludwig could only think as he prepared the table for the new stranger.

~~~~~~~~~~  
After finishing with the tall blond waiter, Feliciano could practically feel his hands jittering as he turned toward the bathroom and the thing that he awaited.  
The phone.  
Rushing up to the device, he noticed that it was a quarter phone. Luckily he had prepared for such an occurrence, and opened his wallet to fish a few of the many quarters he found and stashed onto himself for just this very occasion.  
Feliciano also went to grab the note with the phone number, but could feel himself begin to hesitate…What if his brother didn’t want to talk to him? What if it wasn’t his brother on the other side? What if this was a trap..?  
Feli could feel his mouth go dry, and a thought with a future scenario that he would prefer to stay repressed attempted to rise to the surface.  
‘NO. STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS.’ Feliciano scream into his brain. He shook his head violently, and gripped his hair to stop the involuntary thoughts from attempting to surface.  
He did his best to take deep breaths, and shouted useless words into his brain to distract himself from the possibility of painful visions from arising.  
He already lived through the one that occurred. Stop thinking of the ones that could.  
After some deep breaths, Feliciano felt his hand move swiftly on autopilot. He plugged in the numbers, skillfully slipped the quarter into the machine, and before he knew it, he could hear the phone on the other end ringing.  
Feliciano felt like time had stopped as he listening to the ringing. Oh god what was happening? Everything was moving to fast suddenly.  
Brrrring  
Brrrring  
Brrr-  
“Hello?” Came an aspirated voice on the other end.  
Oh my god.  
It was him.  
“Romano..?” Feliciano tried weakly. The phone shaking in his grip.  
The other line was silent, except for the sound of something dropping, and a weak curse emanating from the other side. He could feel his breathing quicken as he waited for a response.  
“Feli? Holy shit, is that you?” The other voice asked hoarsely.  
“Yes! Fratello it’s me!” Feliciano cried. However he remembered where he was and in an embarrassed motion covered his mouth.  
“Yes, I’m here Romano.” He repeated, his tone revealing how starstruck by the idea he truly was.  
A sob was heard on the other end.  
“God, I- when I gave the new number to Antonio I really thought that it wasn’t going to get to you. I gave him so much shit for the idea because I didn’t think it would work and I didn’t want him or you get to caught and- “  
“Romano it’s okay, it’s okay neither of us got caught. And I am now talking to you. Please let’s just focus on that.” He pleaded to the other.  
“Where are you talking to me right now Feli?” His brother interrupted hurriedly.  
“Not in the HQ or grandpa’s house. It’s at a safe place out of the city I promise.” He assured. “I’ve thought this all through. I refuse to let grandpa take this from us.”  
A laughter, sounding wet and emotional cut through the static.  
“You and Antonio make me so stressed. I know that we haven’t talked and I haven’t seen you but god I’ve done my absolute best to keep an eye on you, I always check the papers for you, and Antonio has the patience of a saint for dealing with how much I ask about you… I worry Feli, so much...” the voice on the other side faltered.  
Hearing Romano like this, a voice so full of bite yet so vulnerable, it hurt a little. Feliciano knew nothing of what his brother went through the past 3 years, but damn it, he was going to find a way to get to his brother and remedy whatever damage his other half had gone through.  
But now was not the one for thinking and silence. His brother was on the other line, and he needed to do anything he could to continue hearing that voice.  
“Well don’t, I may be your little brother, but I know how to work the system...You’ve gotten so nervous. When I was younger, I thought you used to not give a care in the world about me.” He stated dramatically, hoping to bring his brother out of his stressed state.  
It seemed to work, for his brother’s warm laughter could be heard on the other side. Feliciano felt as if blossoms of comfort and nostalgia were blooming happily within his stomach.  
“I’m not nervous about myself, just my little brother, because he’s worth way too much to me for something bad to happen to him.”  
Oh, how he felt his heart swell at the care Romano was showing toward him. Because even though as children he knew that his brother cared for him, he had always jokingly messed with him, or told him that he was annoying or some sort of other childish insult. So hearing his brother admit his feelings so openly made Feli feel as if he was floating. .  
“Fratello, you are making my heart grow with your words.” He sniffled.  
A huff, along with a snort was the initial reply.  
“Yeah yeah, whatever you idiot. Don’t make your heart grow to big. Last thing I need is you dying from a heart attack.”  
“Oh! You’re so rude to me!”  
God it was so good to just be talking to his brother again. To just be able to laugh, joke, and just be brothers again. It felt so amazing.  
The two of them continued to banter back and forth. Pulling out old jokes long forgotten by the two, along with resurfacing memories of childhood. The dialogue was something dearly missed. However Feliciano could sense the elephant in the room and knew that eventually the topic would need to be breached. The joking between the two of them had begun to dwindle, and when he realized that maybe Romano was not going to bring up the topic unless provoked, He decided that he would be the one willing to take the plunge.  
“Romano, you know I need to know whether your… research is still something you are pursuing.”  
As if a switch had been flipped, He heard his brother’s more joking tone turn into one more somber as a tired sigh. A weak chuckle was heard on the other end. Romano probably knew; no, definitely knew that this question was coming, and realized that he finally had to get into his explanation. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, the elder brother spoke.  
“Let’s just say that what grandpa did to me was not a great motivator to find a new hobby.” 

Damnit. It was too good to be true.

“Romano…you could get away, leave all of this behind.” Feliciano started, a stressed and nervous tone evident.  
“What grandpa did to you was wrong, but you are free! You can now live life without him hiding in your shadow. You can let go…” he continued. The fact that it seemed his brother was still determined to take their grandfather to a financial grave worried him greatly. He had hoped that maybe his brother had taken the opportunity to grow, to move on. However with a painful ache in his chest, he realized that seemed to not be the case.  
“How can I let go Feli? How can I move on knowing that our grandfather willingly allowed blood to get on not only his hands, but yours and mine as well? He stood there and allowed so many men, women, and children’s lives be ruined by fine print, lies, and slavery. People like him need to burn.” Romano spat on the other end.  
“Romano…I...” Feliciano’s voice hitched. He didn’t know what to say anymore.  
Silence then fell on both ends, two people trying to think about how to proceed, and to convince the other of their personal point. The confliction burned...

“Feli, tell me right now. Do you think grandfather has changed since then?” The elder finally whispered.  
Feliciano clutched the phone close. A pained and shaken sigh escaped.  
“Roma-“  
“Has he?” The other pressed. “If he’s changed, if he isn't still using people, isn’t still Two-faced. Isn't still twisting words and using fine print to benefit himself, then I will drop it. Right here and now. If you think he’s changed for the better. I’ll end it no questions asked.”  
Feliciano swallowed. A part of him wanted to get mad, to bite back and yell at his other half example after example of the changes he didn’t see…  
Oh Feli thought. Really thought. He took himself back to meetings, and discussions,and signings, and so many other sorts of business situations. Desperately trying to take himself to any posing where he could convince his brother of a change.  
He couldn’t think of a single one.  
Not one.  
His brother put out such a bold barter because he didn’t need to be home anymore to see the reality in that nothing had changed. The fact that Feliciano had to sneak away to simply talk to family was evidence enough.  
His brother was right.  
Maybe his grandfather was a monster.  
Knowing that his brother waited for his reply, He did his best to calm down. He cleared his throat, straightened himself, Hell he even clenched his hand so hard he could feel his nails digging into his palms. But none of it mattered, for while he tried his best to answer smoothly, his voice ended up just completely cracked with emotion he didn’t want to be heard.  
“No. He hasn't changed Romano.”  
Feliciano pressed the palm of his hand onto one of his eyes, and tried with all of his might to will away the tears. A few hiccups escaped his mouth, and even though he was probably thousands of miles away, Feliciano could almost feel his brother's emotions like an electric shock emanating from the phone itself. The plastic almost seemed to buzz in his hand.  
The silence continued for an unknown amount of time. He wasn’t sure if it was simply seconds or hours, the only thing that convinced Feli that it may have not been long was simply the fact that the phone was still connected and running off of the quarter. What broke the silence was a hushed unknown voice on the other end, which seemed to be getting his brother’s attention. The phone was then muffled and the two voices communicated freely with barely anything comprehensible being understood. Eventually the muffling ended and the sound became clear. An annoyed huff was heard and Romano began to tell the other his news.  
“Feli I gotta go, something’s come up. I know that this is probably the worst time to do this but I want you to call me back as soon as you can, okay?”  
“O-okay, yeah I can do that.”  
“I mean it Feli” His brother pressed, “I do not want another gap like before. You are too important to me for that. And I hope that I am important enough to you.”  
He felt a smile tug onto his lips.  
“You are Romano. You are so so important to me.” He reassured his brother.  
A content-sounding sigh was heard,  
“Okay then, I love you Feli, stay safe okay?”  
“I will.”

Romano finally hung up his phone with a resolved swish. Feliciano was now alone.  
He wiped the wetness from his eyes that had accumulated over the phone call, and did his best to breathe deeply. Despite how he predicted he looked visually, Feliciano actually felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. A link that he thought was broken long ago proved itself to be as strong as ever, and that fact let him let him release more hate than he realized he had been harboring inside about his grandfather.  
He knew that this was the beginning of a new battle, but he was okay with it. His life had been full of battles, what was one more?  
Satisfied, Feli felt a smile pull onto his face as he allowed to phone to rest in its original place, and exited the dingy primary colors for the daylight entering the windows of the diner.  
~~~~~~~~~~

Ludwig has just delivered the double date’s meals when he saw the suited man from before come around the corner. His face seemed somewhat flushed, possibly from crying..? but other than that didn’t seem to be much different. After getting to the center of the room however he stopped, and a look of slight panic and confusion washed over his face as he scanned the tables.  
Ludwig flagged the other to get his attention and nodded his head toward table five, all cleaned and ready for use.  
A wave of relief went over the others face, and he quickly shuffled over to the table and slid into the booth.  
“I will get to you in a moment.” He assured as he passed with the empty tray. He wasn’t quite sure why, but this man admittedly interested him. So far he seemed kind and polite, and he was much different than the usual teenagers and elderly couples who frequented the establishment.  
When he returned to the table, the man had settled himself in and was already looking at the menu with a slight furrowing of his brow. He also noticed the slight poking out of the man’s tongue and couldn’t help but find the action somewhat humorous and admittedly adorable.  
“Hello again.” Ludwig greeted, a polite smile making its way onto his face. The stranger looked up at his approach, and smiled happily back.  
“Hello Ludwig! I cannot thank you enough for letting me use the phone here, it really means a lot to me.”  
“It was no problem. The phone is rarely used here, so It really is no issue.” He assured. He noticed the way the other man fidgeting around with the menu.  
“Do you need a minute?” He inquired.  
“Oh! No, I should be able to order my drink now.. um..” the man looked at the drinks once more.  
“Okay. This is going to sound a tad silly, but I actually haven’t had much of these.. which drinks do you like?”  
Ludwig felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the question. Where the hell had this guy come from if he doesn’t even know what a Coca Cola tasted like..? Ludwig cleared his throat, and leaned down slightly so he could read the menu with the other.  
“Well, it depends on what you prefer, are you alright with the carbonation of sodas? Or would you prefer something less...much?” Ludwig tried. He internally chided himself for his lack of vocabulary. Why was this guy making his brain just want to stop working?  
“Hmm…well I do enjoy sweet things, but I do not enjoy the bubbles,they sting” he heard him murmur. The other’s nose scrunched up, and that adorable little tongue poke made a reappearance as the small drink section was analyzed to a scrutiny.  
“I understand that, I have to be ‘in the mood’ as they say for those sort of drinks. I think I would recommend-“  
“Oh!!!”. The man in the booth gasped, and a bright twinkle could be seen within his eyes. Ludwig initially jumped, then wondered what had caused the man to cry out, but then followed the signs later out before him. He was pointing to an option on the menu that Ludwig struggled to see, partially because of the other man’s face having ended up extremely close to the menu,and the other being due to how the man was now practically buzzing with excitement.  
“I apologize for cutting you off, would it be alright for me to order a woohoo?” An embarrassed tone evident.  
God why was this odd man’s actions so endearing to him?  
“Its- it’s okay.” Ludwig began to giggle, “One woohoo.” Ludwig managed to get out. At his Waiter’s laughter, the others look of embarrassment only seemed to get worse. A red blush gave those freckles so much color that it took a moment for Ludwig to stop marveling at them and realize that his laughter could be taken the wrong way, he jumped to try and amend quickly:  
“I apologize for laughing, I swear I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, I simply haven’t seen someone get so excited for a Woohoo and it made my day. Such positive feelings are not something I see often here as a waiter with hungry guests.”  
At the apology the other seemed surprised, and a lovely smile took the place of the blush.  
“Ah it’s okay! I am acting a bit odd I guess, so honestly if you had been laughing at me in a demeaning way I probably deserved it.”  
“I don’t like to bring people down, it isn’t right.” He stated simply. “Besides, as I stated before, you have made my day, I don’t normally get clients who are as kind as you… but I digress, do you want to order now? Or do you need a minute?”  
The other hummed a tune while thinking, something that Ludwig recognizes but couldn’t put a name to.  
“I may need a minute, but would you be willing to stay while I look? If it isn’t much trouble” he questioned nervously.  
“It is no trouble, if anything,” Ludwig inched closer and did a quick glance-over to the double date behind his client; “it’s actually a good distraction, the group I was taking care of before were not the best customers and I kinda want to stay away from them.  
Feliciano’s eyes widened, and did a subtle look around to spot that double date behind him. When he looked back at his waiter,a knowing glimmer sparked in his warm eyes as he chuckled.  
“Yes, I will need much assistance, your other customers are going to have to wait quite a bit.”  
Ludwig felt a little flutter in his stomach, while a grateful grin broke out onto his face.  
“Alright then let’s look at this menu...”  
Seeming to get the hint, his customer responded quickly.  
“Feliciano, but most people just call me Feli.”

END OF CHAPTER


End file.
